Borneo Schematic -

Analytical Framework: Iconographic analysis using the Panofsky method (pre-iconographic description → iconographic analysis → iconological interpretation). Motif clustering analysis (MCA) was applied to 1,240 individual motifs across 45 sites.

The rock art of Borneo is broadly classified into two main chronological and stylistic phases: the early "Mega-fauna" or Naturalistic tradition (c. 40–20,000 BP) and the later "Schematic" tradition (c. 4000–500 BP). The Borneo Schematic tradition, characterized by abstract geometric motifs, anthropomorphs with raised arms, sunbursts, and boat-shaped figures, represents a radical shift in symbolic behaviour. This paper synthesizes current archaeological evidence from sites across East Kalimantan (Indonesia), Sarawak (Malaysia), and Sabah (Malaysia). It argues that the Schematic tradition is not a degenerate form of earlier naturalism but a deliberate symbolic system associated with Neolithic Austronesian expansion, shamanistic ritual practice, and the marking of agricultural landscapes. Through analysis of motif distribution, superimposition, and direct radiocarbon dating of pigment and associated materials, this paper establishes a robust chronology and offers an interpretive framework based on ethnographic analogy with contemporary Dayak and Punan art.

The lattice/tapis motif echoes the woven patterns used in ritual cloths that contain protective spiritual power ( semangat ). Placing such patterns on cave walls may have "activated" the shelter as a ritual locus for rainmaking, head-hunting success, or agricultural fertility. borneo schematic

Perston, Y. (2019). The spatial organization of rock art in the Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat region. Archaeology in Oceania , 54(2), 89-104.

Chazine, J. M. (2005). Rock art and the 2005 archaeological mission in East Kalimantan. INQUA SEQS Conference Proceedings . 40–20,000 BP) and the later "Schematic" tradition (c

| Feature | Naturalistic Tradition | Schematic Tradition | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Dominant Color | Red (hematite) | Black (charcoal/manganese), dark purple | | Subject | Fauna (bearded pig, banteng), hand stencils | Geometrics (zigzags, dots, concentric circles), anthropomorphic "stick" figures | | Scale | Large (≥50 cm) | Small (typically 5–20 cm) | | Execution | Sprayed, finger-painted, careful outline | Rapid brush stroke, repetitive, stippled | | Superimposition | Always below schematic layers | Above naturalistic (never the reverse) |

Study Area: Primary sites include Gua Saleh, Liang Karim, and Gua Tewet (East Kalimantan); Painted Cave (Niah, Sarawak); and Batu Tulug (Sabah). Over 80 rock art sites with schematic components were reviewed. hand stencils | Geometrics (zigzags

The Schematic tradition is markedly distinct from its predecessor (Table 1).